Biography William Barbee

Active in Washington DC, William Barbee was a sculptor from Luray in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Initially he set out to be a lawyer, admitted to the bar in 1843 and practicing for ten years. However, he decided his true interest and talent was in sculpture, and he went to Italy for two years to study with neo-classic sculptors Hiram Powers and Joel Hart Tanner.

In 1857, Barbee was denied a commission he sought to work on the United States Capitol Building, but just before and then after the Civil War, he was successful and had a studio in the Capitol Building.

Two of his best-known works were "Fisher Girl" and "The Coquette", which were exhibited in Richmond, Baltimore, and New York City. At the Pennsylvania Academy,
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